Answer the Questions You’ve Always Had About Yourself

The market for at-home Nutrition DNA tests has exploded. One newer company, Gini Health, uses over 140 genetic variants to provide diet recommendations to help you feel better and live longer. But can Gini Health compete with top personalized Diet & Fitness DNA testing companies like Vitagene or Living DNA?

To answer that question, we’ve done all the research into Gini’s features, information, pricing, customer service, and more. Plus, we’ll go into detail about all the Gini app has to offer on your wellness journey. Wondering what other tests or companies you might consider as an alternative? We’ve researched that too.

Next, we’ll take a look at the best features of Gini Health – plus ones that we think could be improved. Then, you’ll be able to decide whether Gini Health is the right partner for you.

Get an Inside Look at Your Health in Just a Couple Weeks

First, create a Gini account and register your kit. Then, collect a DNA sample using the cheek swab. If you aren’t familiar, don’t worry, it’s super easy and the box has diagrams.

Important: Make sure you do not eat, drink, or smoke for about an hour before collecting your sample. This helps prevent sample contamination.

For customers in the United States, shipping charges include a return shipping label for sending your sample back to the lab. For everyone else, place the return envelope in your own packaging and send via your local shipping provider. Mail to the address on the return envelope.

While you are waiting for your results, make sure you’ve downloaded the Gini App. It’s available for iOS and Android. I’d recommend spending a little time getting familiar with it, since you’re bound to use the app a lot once your results arrive!

5 Standout Features of Gini Health

1. Learn About Other Health Factors that Impact Your Nutrition

Get answers to questions like, “Am I likely to have sleep disruptions?” “Do I need more calcium?” or “how can I increase my longevity?” The topics cover a range of issues, like heart health, sleep, mental health, weight and wellness, bone and blood health, personal traits, and allergies or intolerances. Overall, Gini Health covers a wider variety of health topics than other comparable companies such as DNAfit and 23andMe.

While Gini Health does test for caffeine metabolism variants, it does not include alcohol, like many competitors, including Vitagene and Gene Food. Out of all the nutrition-focused DNA testing companies I’ve researched, Gene Food probably offers the widest variety of health-related topics. It includes topics missing from Gini Health, such as NSAID tolerance, chronotype, cannabis tolerance/dependence risks, and DNA methylation.

2. Personalized Nutrition Labels

Based on your DNA nutrition test, Gini Health promises to deliver personal recommendations across your dietary needs. Discover how many simple vs. complex carbohydrates you should eat. Wondering how much protein to consume? Find out in your results. Plus, learn your best ways to incorporate saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated fats into your diet. You will also get personal recommendations for:

Vitamins B6, D, E, & K

Iodine, potassium, sodium

Folate & lycopene

Calcium, iron, magnesium

Omega 3

Perhaps the biggest value-added feature from Gini’s nutrition reports are the personalized nutrition labels, accessible in the app. Using this feature makes it easy to calculate how what you are eating contributes to your goals. While almost every DNA-based nutrition company offers personalized nutrient intake recommendations, Gini Health does a better job of making the information easy to use.

3. Use Gini’s Personalized Vitamins and Minerals for Top Nutrition

Another benefit of taking a DNA nutrition test is determining exactly which supplements you could benefit from, and the appropriate dose. Gini’s supplements are based on the way you eat, exercise, and live. Supplements are age- and gender-adjusted.

Have dietary restrictions? No problem! Gini Health Supplements are vegan, bio-available, and gluten-free, without any harmful or artificial fillers. Please note that availability is limited to DNA tested users on Gini. Also, all supplements and supplement plans are available for an additional cost beyond the DNA test kit.

Other nutrition-focused DNA testing companies, like Vitagene and Orig3n, offer supplement plans, too. The personalized supplements have comparable features; however, Vitagene’s bundles include supplements for three months (which Gini Health doesn’t offer). In contrast, most of Gini’s top competitors, such as Geno Palate, Gene Food, and DNAfit do not sell supplements.

4. Understand Your Health with App Stories and Virtual Health Coaches

Your personal health coach, Gini, is here to help you take control of your wellness and nutrition. Premium App Stories, designed just for you, help you understand how nutrition affects your health, your genetic risk factors, and associated genes. Many users report gaining valuable nutritional insights, and it’s easy to see why.

The app integrates your genotype data with the latest nutrigenomics information to give you a roadmap to optimal micro- and macronutrient-intake. While you’re a subscriber, you’ll also get access to all of Gini’s new info, like new health, wellness, and trait reports. Plus, you’ll get new insights about additional vitamins and minerals.

Concerned about personal accountability on your wellness journey? Gini’s got you covered with virtual health coaches. Even better is that it’s included for one year with the purchase of a DNA test kit. Afterward, this feature is available through an app subscription.

Among DNA-based Nutrition Companies, Virtual Health Coaches are more difficult to find than you might think. Out of several similar competitors, DNAfit is the only other company that offers a virtual health coach. For more comparisons between companies, check out our article on the best nutrition DNA tests.

5. Track Your Way to Wellness with the Gini App Health Tracker

Keep a food log that tracks the details of your diet for you, and learn which foods to target to meet your nutritional goals. Plus, integrate your genetic information into a searchable food database to create personalized nutrition labels. This makes it easy to know which foods are best (or worst) for you. Then, add foods to your Health Tracker log straight from the search – it’s a simple way to keep track of your goals!

The Health Tracker logs your energy input and output data. Using the tracker, you will know exactly how many grams of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) you’ve consumed, how this aligns with your goals, and how many calories are still available in each category. And while you’re at it, seamlessly log your exercise and track your calories burned, all in the same place.

After the first year, you have to subscribe in order to continue receiving the premium stories and access to the health tracker. Other companies, like Orig3n, have apps too. But, Gini’s does a particularly good job of making the information easy to find and use.

From what I can tell, your results are delivered only to the app. And you’ll have to input your foods into the health tracker in order to keep track of your progress. If you aren’t interested in doing that or don’t enjoy using your phone throughout the day, Gini Health might not be the best fit for you.

Similar Tests to Consider

There are a plethora of Health & Wellness DNA testing kits to help personalize your nutrition plan and optimize your lifestyle. But how do you know which alternatives to consider? After doing our research, we’ve come up with three “top picks” – additional options that offer high-quality results, satisfied customers, and valuable information.

Vitagene: If you’re looking for insights about diet, exercise, skin, supplements, and ancestry, Vitagene may be a good choice for you. The top-tier package includes customized meal plans, including ingredients and calorie breakdowns, a supplement plan, health coaching. Plus, in-depth insights based on your genes about your metabolism, food sensitivities, and genetic risk factors.

Gene Food: Based on your genes, you’ll be categorized into a diet type, such as “modified paleo” or “hunter-gatherer.” You’ll get specialized insights into how your body uses food and how much of certain types of food to include in your diet. Gene Food also provides other health insights, including reports on sleep, chronotype, cannabis, and longevity.

Orig3n: Orig3n offers a variety of tests at affordable prices. The large Nutrition & Fitness Bundle covers all of the standard nutritional health topics like food sensitivity, vitamins, hunger & weight, metabolism, muscle strength, movement, and power performance. You can also purchase mini-panels and single question tests that offer a subset of the information. Additional panels cover other topics, including behavior, beauty, and child development.

What Can the World’s First Personalized Nutrition Label Teach You About Wellness?

Gini Health walks you through the process of tailoring your life based on your genetics. You’ll build your biography, including your DNA and other health information. Then, expert analysis will provide a list of nutrients to focus on eating, meal plans, and virtual health coaches. All of this information is housed in the Gini Health App.

The app’s Stories feature provides education about your potential health risks and how changing your diet might help. Information on foods include micro- and macronutrient amounts, serving sizes, and other details. The way you frequently get little pieces of information helps it become a lifestyle rather than a crash-course. This will teach you to eat your way to disease prevention!

The app’s Food Lens overlays foods with your genes (image below). Many customer reviews noted how this feature was eye-opening and provided valuable nutritional education. The information is well laid out: it starts with a simple color-coded bar that declares if a food is “great for you,” “ok for you,” etc. Then, you can choose how to measure the food and the serving size. From here, add it straight to your food log!

In the bottom section of the screen you’ll find the micro- and macronutrient information. It’s there for those who want it, but not obtrusive for those who aren’t as detail-focused. You can also toggle over to the highlights feature, which is helpful for determining which diet-styles certain foods fit into best. Personally, I think having this information at your fingertips is more practical and convenient than results that come in book form or in large pdf files.

Your DNA data can also be accessed through the app. Got high priority goals? Take action by tracking your progress in Gini’s Health Tracker feature – it’s an easy, actionable step you can take to improve your health.

Nonetheless, Gini Health doesn’t test for everything. For example, many nutrition-focused DNA testing companies (Vitagene, Orig3n, and Caligenix) offer information about skin risks and skincare, Gini Health does not. There also aren’t any test kits or panels focused on other topics like ancestry, child development, or DNA-based relative matching.

Gini Health offers only limited information about polygenic disease risk factors, and almost no information on genetic carrier status for genetic diseases. While Gini Health does test for caffeine metabolism variants, it does not include alcohol, like many competitors, including Vitagene and Gene Food.

Find a Health Buddy and Save

Gini Health is reasonably priced and a good value for your dollar – it’s a solid mid-range option. Top value-added features that make Gini Health worth the price include the virtual health coach and the health tracker. Some customers also find lots of value in the premium app stories, which are included for one year with the purchase of the DNA test kit.

The nutrition report includes comparable information to similarly priced competitors, like GenoPalate, and Gene Food. However, Gini Health adds on more information about how other factors like sleep, intolerances, and disease risks impact your health. The cost of Gini Health is also comparable to the Vitality or Vigor Bundles from Vitagene. The results (again) give similar information; however, Vitagene bundles also include a three-month personalized supplement supply.

Are you interested in taking this wellness journey with a spouse or a friend? If so, you should look into the Couples Special. You’ll get a significant discount on a package, including two Gini DNA Test Kits, access to health reports, gene-adjusted nutrition, and access to your personal health tracker for one year.

Accepted methods of payment include American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, and Shop Pay. For customers in the United States, the shipping charges include a return shipping label for sending your sample back to the lab. Customers outside of the United States have to pay return shipping for their sample.

In case you’re wondering whether there are any hidden fees or subscriptions, here’s the deal: all features of the Gini app are included for the first year. After that, you have to pay a monthly fee for access to the premium stories and the health tracker features of the app. Personalized supplements are also available for an additional fee. Adding the supplements as another monthly subscription saves money month-to-month.

Quick and Helpful Responses to Customer Questions

Interested in contacting Gini Health?Fortunately, there are several ways to get in touch, including a mailing address, customer support form on the website, customer support email, and a live chat feature. Gini Health also maintains a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as a blog.

I contacted Gini’s customer support to ask whether the company was still shipping kits and receiving samples during the global pandemic. The response came in under an hour and thoroughly answered my questions.

As I continued my research, I also sent an email asking whether the results included information about Crohn’s disease (the results do), and again got a helpful reply in a short time. Overall, I’m pleased with the customer service I received from Gini Health.

Eat Your Way to Disease Prevention

Interested in learning about nutrition? Keeping a food log? Are you trying to prevent diseases? Would you use a personal coach? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, Gini Health may be a good option for you. If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, Gini Health is a fantastic choice for you.

Gini Health offers a unique combination of features that includes a health coach, a wide variety of health topics, and personalized supplements. My suggestions on alternatives are next:

Want a health coach but not interested in supplements? DNAfit is a strong choice.

The bottom line: If you’re interested in a DNA-based diet app to help you reach your health and nutrition goals, Gini Health is well worth considering. If you’d like to continue your research, check out our article on the best DNA companies for personalized nutrition.

FAQ

What can Gini Health tell me about my diet?

Gini Health provides a wealth of information about how to optimize your diet. In particular, the app has a searchable food database, so you can see the food’s nutrient content and how well it matches your nutritional requirements.

These results will include information based on your DNA about whether you should eat more or less than the generic “recommended amount.” Then, you can search your favorite foods and see which vitamins they nourish you with.

You can also find answers to questions you’ve always had, like “Why can’t I stand eating onions?”, “Why do I crave carbs?”, and “Am I lactose intolerant?” among many others!

How does Gini Health compare to other similar DNA tests?

Gini Health is similar to several other DNA-based nutrition plans like GenoPalate, Gene Food, DNAfit, both in terms of pricing and results content. Some customers may find Gini Health or DNAfit to be a better value since health consults are included.

Gini Health provides an in-depth health report that covers a variety of topics, as follows:

Heart Health

Mental Health

Bone & Blood Health

Weight & Wellness

Sleep

Allergies/Intolerances

Traits

You’ll get answers to your questions, like “Why do I have these cravings?”, “I feel tired all the time, what can I do?”, or “How can I increase my lifespan with personalized nutrition?”

Each Nutrition DNA company has a unique specialty that can make it a standout option for your particular needs. For Gini Health, it’s the Gini App. The app includes a food lens for you to search for foods and see how the nutrients compare to your genetic needs. There’s also a health tracker to manage your goals and keep tabs on your progress.

Can I upload my raw data from another DNA company into Gini’s website?

How accurate is Gini Health?

Gini Health takes several measures to ensure high levels of quality and accuracy in the results. Importantly, samples are processed in a CLIA-certified (i.e., medical-grade) laboratory. DNA testing is an extremely well-established biotechnology technique that yields highly accurate results.

However, our collective understanding of how nutrition and DNA are related – as well as how the two interact – is still in its infancy. Nutrigenomics is a fascinating field that will likely improve the way we live our lives. It’s important to realize, though, the exact findings or results may change over time. Not because your DNA did, but because our interpretation did. That’s one of the exciting things about participating in cutting-edge technology! To account for this, Gini Health offers free updates to your results.

Does Gini Health have a subscription program?

Yes. Subscriptions are available for the Gini App, and for personalized vitamin and mineral supplements.

Subscription to all of Gini Health App’s programs is included for the first year. This includes:

After the first year, a subscription for the premium stories and health tracker services must be purchased for continued access to these features.

Personalized vitamin and mineral supplements can also be purchased on a monthly or quarterly basis. Options include standard supplements, the “Special Base Plus Formula,” or the Immunity Booster Supplement for Seasonal Flu and Allergies.

Sara Turner

Writer

I'm Sara Turner and I've pursued my lifelong passion for learning through many adventures, including getting my Ph.D. in Biomedical Science. My husband, my three young sons, and I enjoy traveling and exploring new places outdoors. I love the sunshine, the beach and new ideas!